is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in Yamaguchi Prefecture,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. With a population of 265,684, it is the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region. It is located at the southwestern tip of Honshu facing the Tsushima Strait at the entrance to the Kanmon Straits (also known as the Straits of Shimonoseki) across from the city of

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuku ...

and the island of

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

. It is nicknamed the "

Fugu The fugu (; ; ) in Japanese, ''bogeo'' (; 鰒魚) or ''bok'' () in Korean, and ''hétún'' (河豚; 河魨) in Standard Modern Chinese is a pufferfish, normally of the genus ''Takifugu'', ''Lagocephalus'', or ''Sphoeroides'', or a porcupinefish ...

Capital" for the locally caught

pufferfish Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, blowies, bubblefish, globefish, swellfis ...

, and is the largest harvester of the pufferfish in Japan.

History

The geographical position of Shimonoseki has given it historical importance. The Heike and Genji fought at Dan-no-ura near the present Kanmon Bridge. In February 1691, German explorer Engelbert Kaempfer visited the town as part of his two-year stay in Japan, and described it as having around 400 to 500 houses, and as a major port in the region for supplying ship provisions. The Bombardment of Shimonoseki occurred in 1864, and the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed there in 1895, seeing a defeated China hand over Taiwan,

Penghu The Penghu (, Hokkien POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘'' or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, located approximately west from the main island of Taiwan, covering an area ...

, and Port Arthur to the victorious Japanese. An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Shimonoseki as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom. Choshu-Battery-Capture-Shimonoseki-1864

On February 13, 2005, Shimonoseki absorbed the towns of Hōhoku,

Kikugawa is a city located in the western portion of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,484 in 17,916 households, and a population density of 510 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The city is known f ...

, Toyota and Toyoura (all from Toyoura District) to create the new and expanded city of Shimonseki. Since October 1, 2005, the city has been designated as a core city by the Japanese Government.

Climate

Shimonoseki has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen climate classification ''Cfa'') with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heavier in summer.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shimonoseki in 2020 is 255,051 people. Shimonoseki has been conducting censuses since 1920.

Transportation

Ferries from Shimonoseki Port International Terminal

*The Kanpu ferry to Busan, South Korea regularly. *The Gwangyang Beech to Gwangyang, South Korea regularly. *The

Orient ferry The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...

to Shanghai, China regularly. *The

Qingdao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...

, China was suspended in November 2015.

Trains

*The main Shinkansen station ** Sanyō Shinkansen ***

Shin-Shimonoseki Station is a railway station on the San'yō Shinkansen and San'yō Main Line, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan. Lines Shin-Shimonoseki Station is served by the following JR West lines: * Sanyo Shinkanse ...

*The main JR West stations **

San'yō Main Line The is a major railway line owned by JR Group companies in western Japan, connecting Kōbe Station and Moji Station, largely paralleling the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, Inland Sea, in other words, the southern coast of western Honshu. The Sa ...

*** Shimonoseki Station ***

Hatabu Station is a railway station located in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Lines Hatabu Station is served by the Sanyō Main Line and is also the terminus of the Sanin Main Line. Adjacent statio ...

- Hatabu Station is a railway station on the San'yō Main Line and the San'in Main Line. ***

- Shin-Shimonoseki Station is a railway station on the Sanyō Shinkansen Line and the San'yō Main Line. *** Chōfu Station ***

Ozuki Station is a railway station in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Lines Ozuki Station is served by the Sanyō Main Line. Adjacent stations , - !colspan=5, JR West See also * List o ...

** San'in Main Line ***

***

Ayaragi Station is a JR West railway station located in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered ...

***

Kajikuri-Gōdaichi Station is a West Japan Railway Company (JR West) railway station located in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan. History * 1 October 1935: Kajikuri Station opens. (At different location) * 10 August 1941: Kajikuri Station closes. * 15 March 2008: Kajikuri-G ...

***

Yasuoka Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Lines Yasuoka Station is served by the JR West San'in Main Line, and is located 668.2 ...

***

Fukue Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Lines Fukue Station is served by the JR West San'in Main Line, and is located 66 ...

***

Yoshimi Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Lines Yoshimi Station is served by the JR West San'in Main Line, and is located ...

***

Umegatō Station is a JR West railway station located in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is border ...

***

Kuroimura Station is a JR West railway station located in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is borde ...

*** Kawatana-Onsen Station ***

Kogushi Station is a JR West railway station located in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordere ...

*** Yutama Station *** Ukahongō Station ***

Nagato-Futami Station is a JR West railway station located in the Hōhoku area of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Station layout The station consists of an island platform serving two tracks, enabling passengers to change trains. Though managed by the Naga ...

***

Takibe Station is a JR West San'in Main Line railway station located in Hōhoku, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the stations on the Misuzu Shiosai Experience, which takes place on certain trains during the day between Nagatoshi a ...

***

Kottoi Station is a JR West railway station located in Shimonoseki city, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. People who disembark at Kottoi Station can take a 20-minute bus ride to Tsunoshima via the Tsunoshima Bridge, a bridge that joins Tsunoshima to the mainl ...

***

Agawa Station is a JR West San'in Main Line railway station located in the Hōhoku area of the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is one of the stations on the Misuzu Shiosa ...

***

Nagato-Awano Station is a railway station on the Sanin Main Line located in the Hōhoku area of the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Lines Nagato-Awano Station is served by the JR W ...

Buses

Regular bus services are provided by Sanden Kohtsu, as well as by group companies of Sanden Kohtsu. *Bus companies (A loop-line bus in the city.) ** Sanden Kohtsu Co., Ltd. ** Blue Line Kohtsu Co., Ltd. *Intercity bus services (arrival and departure in Shimonoseki city) go to the following destinations: Tokyo, Osaka,

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Airport, etc.

Roads

Expressway

;

Chūgoku Expressway The (part of Asian Highway Network ) is an expressway in Japan, which extends from Suita, Osaka to Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. It connects Kansai and Chūgoku regions in western Honshu, Japan's main island. Other major cities along the expressw ...

*Shimonoseki interchange *Ozuki interchange

Bypasses

* Ozuki Bypass * Shimonoseki-Kita Bypass

National Highways

National Route 2 The following highways are numbered 2. For roads numbered A2, see list of A2 roads. For roads numbered B2, see list of B2 roads. For roads numbered M2, see list of M2 roads. For roads numbered N2, see list of N2 roads. International * AH2, As ...

* National Route 9 * National Route 191 * National Route 435 * National Route 491

Airports

Shimonoseki is served by four airports outside the city. *

Kitakyūshū Airport , sometimes called Kokuraminami Airport, is an airport in Kokuraminami-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan. It is built on an artificial island in the western Seto Inland Sea, away from the main body of the city. It opened on 16 March 2006, as but ...

* Saga Airport * Yamaguchi Ube Airport (only for domestic flights) * Fukuoka Airport

Education

Universities and colleges

* (Yoshimi) *

Shimonoseki City University is a municipal university in Japan. Its campus is located in Daigaku-cho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. History It was founded in 1956 as for the working youths who eagerly wanted to get higher education. In 1962 the college was de ...

(Daigaku-cho) *

University of East Asia The is a private university in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan, established in 1974. Faculties (Undergraduate Schools) Faculty of Human Sciences *Department of Humanities and Social Sciences **Psychology Course **Child Development Course **Cultu ...

(Shin-Shimonoseki Station) *

Baiko Gakuin University is a private university in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1872, and it was chartered as a women's junior college in 1964. The school's emblem (a stylized plum blossom) and kanji name reflect the ...

(Higashieki) **

Baiko Gakuin University Women's Junior College was a junior college in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Shimonoseki Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, and was part of the Baiko Gakuin network. * The Junior College was founded in 1964 as Baiko Jo Gakuin University Junior College. * In 1975 Its name was chan ...

(Shimonoseki) *

Shimonoseki Junior College is a private junior college in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan. The school opened in 1962 as a women's A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plura ...

(Sakurayama-cho)

Primary and secondary schools

The city has a North Korean school, . It formerly housed two other North Korean schools,

Yamaguchi Korean High School (야마구찌조선고급학교) was a North Korean high school in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.

and . As a city of a quarter million people, it has some public schools too.

Culture

Festivals

Shimonoseki is home to many festivals that are held throughout the year. Of these, the most famous are the Shimonoseki Kaikyo Festival and Shimonoseki Bakan Festival. *Shimonoseki

(Blowfish) Festival (February) : Haedomari Market *Kawatana

Onsen In Japan, are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. There are approximately 25,000 hot ...

(hot spring) Festival (April) *Shimonoseki Kaikyo Festival (May) :

Karato is the downtown area of the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Shimonoseki, Japan. It is known as the most famous sightseeing spot in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Main sightseeing spots and institutions ;Shops * SunLive Karato (Shopping center) * Kara ...

, Ganryujima Island *Suhouteisai Festival (August) : Castle town Chofu *Kanmon Kaikyo Fireworks Festival (August) :

(Aruka Port area) *Shimonoseki Bakan Festival (August) : Along the street from

-cho to Shimonoseki Station *TOUR de Shimonoseki (October/November) *Shimonoseki Kaikyo Marathon (November) *Shimonoseki Fish Festival (November) : Shimonoseki Fishing Port *Little Busan Fest (November) : Green Mall

Architecture

* Kōzan-ji - The butsuden completed in 1320 is a National Treasure of Japan. * Akama Shrine *

Kaikyō Yume Tower The dominates the city of Shimonoseki and is the tallest tower in western Japan. Standing 153 metres tall, it was opened in July 1996. It forms a part of the Kaikyō Messe Shimonoseki building, which houses a conference centre and corporate ...

Museums

*Shimonoseki City Art Museum * Shimonoseki City Museum of History *Shimonoseki City Archaeological Museum *Shimonoseki Marine Science Museum (Shimonoseki City Aquarium) (''Kaikyo Kan'') *Doigahama Site Anthropological Museum *The

firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

museum of toyota town *The of the Yamaguchi Bank

Monuments

*The in Shimonoseki commemorates the final stage of the

Genpei war The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself ...

between the feudal Taira clan and Minamoto clan (1180–1185). There is a historical monument with cannons.

Sports

Professional Teams

FC Baleine Shimonoseki are a Japanese football club based on Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. They play in the Chūgoku Soccer League, one of Japan's fifth tier leagues, which is part of Japanese Regional Leagues. Name origin The name ''Baleine'' means whale in F ...

(

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

)

Sporting venues

*Shimonoseki Baseball Stadium *Shimonoseki Boat Race Stadium (Shimonoseki '' Kyōtei'') *Shimonoseki City Gymnasium *Shimonoseki Track and field stadium *Shimonoseki city

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

*Nogihama General Park (

stadium)

Crime and safety

The

Goda-ikka The is a yakuza group based in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Yamaguchi, Japan. It is a Yakuza#Designated boryokudan, designated yakuza group and Yamaguchi Prefecture's largest, with an estimated 60 members. History The group was formed in 1948 as the i ...

yakuza syndicate is headquartered in Shimonoseki. A designated yakuza group, the Goda-ikka is the largest yakuza syndicate in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Twin towns – sister cities

Shimonoseki is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: * Santos, Brazil (1971) * Istanbul, Turkey (1972) * Busan, South Korea (1976) *

, China (1979) * Pittsburg (California), United States (1998)

Notable people

* Kinuyo Tanaka * Yūsaku Matsuda *

Atsushi Tamura is a famous Japanese comedian from the Hikoshima area of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. He and his partner, , form the known as . Though the two share the same surname, there is no family relation. The pair started their career by ...

(Comedian, actor and singer)

References

External links

Shimonoseki City official website

Shimonoseki City official website
in other languages * * *
City Tourism Promotion Film
Shimonoseki City Official Channel {{Authority control Cities in Yamaguchi Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan